How do parallel wires carrying currents in the same direction interact?
When two parallel wires carry electric currents in the same direction, they exert an attractive force on each other.12
This interaction occurs because each wire creates its own magnetic field in the space surrounding it. According to Ampère’s law, the magnetic field lines produced by a current-carrying wire form circles around the wire, with the direction determined by the right-hand rule. When two wires are placed parallel to one another, the current in one wire interacts with the magnetic field generated by the other. Because the currents flow in the same direction, the resulting magnetic force on each wire is directed toward the other, causing them to attract.12
Conversely, if the currents flow in opposite directions, the wires will exert a repulsive force on each other.12